Step 1: Read "The Case of the Singing Clue."

The Case of the Singing Clue

Are rules meant to be followed or challenged? Inspector D. E. Skies stood pondering for only a moment as he gazed at the impressive Biltwhile Estate, home of his first love, Clarissa Livingston, who had sent him the letter he now clutched. Her death, she felt, was imminent, and not by natural causes.

Because of his worldwide reputation as a detective of impeccable integrity, Clarissa wrote that she had never forgotten him and now needed his help. Clarissa was resolved that her scoundrel of a nephew, Mortimer Savage, was plotting her demise in hopes of inheriting the well-known, albeit well-hidden, fortune.

Now the inspector scrutinized the letter and accompanying photograph. He knew he must trespass. And he knew where the fortune was hidden. Inside the safe with the fortune would be the clues to his beloved Clarissa’s death.

My dear D,

      I write this by the light of the ¹waxing moon in fear of being discovered. So many years have passed, yet I have thought of you every day. Alas, your career and my family prevented our being together. Now, regretfully, I must admit the family money has brought me only pain—and now, if you are reading this, my death. But I ²wax sentimental. Enclosed is a photograph taken of me next to my latest purchase. When I discovered the American Bandstand jukebox, I thought of our times on the dance floor, slow-dancing to the ³waxes of the 1950s. Remember our song? Remember the night we danced to it under a tent of stars? What great times we had! Thinking back, I would have spent my life ⁴waxing floors just to relive those days. Instead, I hope that with my fortune, the coffers of several children’s charities will ⁵wax larger, and I know you will see that my wishes are met. Please know that my heart always belonged to you, and though I use sealing ⁶wax to secure the letter, it is also sealed with my kiss.

Forever yours,
Clarissa

The inspector blinked hard. Mustering all of his courage, he entered the foyer and continued to the ballroom, which he knew was the home of the jukebox. Immediately, the inspector pushed the selection of their song, "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como. When the record skipped at "You’ll have a pocketful of starlight," he knew the secret. Opening the back of the jukebox, the detective found the safe. Knowing Clarissa’s penchant for word games, he already knew the clue. Pulling out his pocket dictionary, he checked the appropriate definition for the context of the word wax, which Clarissa deliberately used six time in her letter. He knew that somewhere in the safe would be the key to the fortune, the will, and the proof he needed to put young Mortimer Savage away for a very long time.

wax1 \waks\ n	1. a plastic, dull-yellow substance secreted by bees for building cells; beeswax
	2. any plastic substance like this
	3. [colloq] a phonograph record
vt	4. rub, polish, smear with wax
	5. [colloq] to make a phonograph record
wax2 \waks\ vi	6. grow gradually larger in strength or volume
	7. increase in size in its lighted position—as in the waxing of the moon; opposite of wane
	8. become, grow (as in wax angry)

Step 2: Now you be the detective. Using context clues, your knowledge of parts of speech, and the accompanying dictionary excerpt, fill in the number of the definition for each word in bold print in Clarissa’s letter in the order that the words appear. You will then discover what Inspector D. E. Skies learned—the combination to the safe. Your instructor will tell you whether to write your answer in your book or to submit your answer online for electronic grading.

		Enter your answer using the following format: ___ ___ - ___ ___ - ___ ___ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Use hyphens where indicated. Do not insert extra spaces between the numbers.   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.